


a taste of paradise

by sunflowerfield



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Kissing, Non-Consensual Touching, Unknown is creepy okay, and you're under the effects of the elixir, so there's going to be dub-con/non-con elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-07 13:32:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12233856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunflowerfield/pseuds/sunflowerfield
Summary: “When children don’t want to take their medicine, their parents will offer them something sweet like candy in exchange for their cooperation,” she says, her voice still right by your ear. It’s as soothing as ever, and yet your entire body thrums with tension. “My parents never did that for me, and we’re not children anymore. So if I want to get you to drink this, we’ll have to offer you something a little more…persuasive.” She tips her head back slightly, and you watch wide-eyed as she brings the bottle to her lips.“Watch me, Ray,” she says. “You’re going to do the same thing to her once I’m done.”orGame branch: Ray is unable to contain Unknown on Day 8, and he comes to kidnap you, taking you back to Mint Eye.





	1. Chapter 1

“Are you afraid?” Ray looks at you earnestly, his eyes bright and unwavering. “Don’t be. I made it sweet, just for you. You told me you like sweet things, remember?” He holds out the bottle of swirling blue liquid, his gloved fingers twitching against the crystal. “Before you left. You told me.”

You don’t reply. You’re frozen with fear and dread, still disbelieving that Ray had managed to capture you and drag you back to this compound. _No, not Ray._ It hadn’t been Ray that had grabbed you roughly by the arm last night, clamping a hand over your mouth and spiriting you out of the woods, away from V’s side. It had been someone who looked like Ray, but wasn’t. Someone dark and smirking and dangerous, who had shoved you into a car and brushed his lips against your ear.

_I told you that I’d make you mine,_ he had whispered, and you had shivered even as you desperately kicked and struggled.

And now you’re back here, at Mint Eye. The plush magenta of the carpeting is familiar to you, but far from comforting. As is the hand that comes to rest on your shoulder from behind, soft and yet so deathly cold.

“It didn’t have to be like this,” Rika says, quiet and mournful. “I didn’t want to have to make you take the elixir. But then you left us. You abandoned us, for V. You left the darkness to chase the light.”

Before you can respond, Ray surges towards you. “But she’s back now, right, Savior? I—he—brought her back, and now everything will okay, now, right? Everything will be happy now. As long as she takes the elixir.”

“Yes.” Suddenly Rika’s arms wrap around you from behind, just like they had only a few days ago. “You’re shaking,” she whispers. She holds you closer, her touch ever gentle, and yet her embrace feels like an inescapable prison. “Don’t be afraid. Ray is right. You’re back now, and that’s all that matters.”

“Please.” It’s the first word you’ve managed to say since you got here, and you hate how pitifully scared it sounds. “Please let me go.”

“Go?” Ray frowns, looking genuinely puzzled. “Go where? You’re right where you belong. With us.”

“If it’s the elixir you’re afraid of,” Rika says, “don’t worry. You won’t have to take a lot. Just a little today, to make sure you’re not tricked by V’s lies again. And then you won’t ever have to take any more of it again.”

You shake your head, thinking of V lying pale and shaking in his bed. You need to return to him. You need to help him. And you don’t want even a drop of what he had been forced to drink in your body.

Ray stares at you, gaze suddenly uncertain. “Why…why are you shaking your head? Aren’t you happy to be back here? Don’t you want to stay with us? I—I missed you so much, you know? So much that I thought I was going to die.” He pops open the bottle, and a sickly sweet aroma fills the air. “I spent all night making this, thinking of you. Thinking of everything we’ll be able to do together, once you’ve taken this. Thinking of all the things I’ll be able to do—with you—” There’s a sudden flush to his pale cheeks, and his eyes drop to the floor. “I’ve been thinking about you nonstop,” he whispers, voice hoarse. “We’ll be so happy, you know. I’ll make you happy. All you have to do is take this.”

There’s a part of your heart that aches at his words. You know this part of your heart wants to use your mouth comfort him, and use your body to lean into Rika’s embrace. But you can’t do either of these things. Not while V is still out there, injured and in pain.

“You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?” Rika’s voice is sharp, suddenly, with an edge that you immediately recognize. But then it softens just as suddenly, and her hand stretches out in front of you. “Ray, give me the elixir.”

“…savior?” Ray complies, looking confused, and Rika’s fingers close around the bottle.

“When children don’t want to take their medicine, their parents will offer them something sweet like candy in exchange for their cooperation,” she says, her voice still right by your ear. It’s as soothing as ever, and yet your entire body thrums with tension. “My parents never did that for me, and we’re not children anymore. So if I want to get you to drink this, we’ll have to offer you something a little more…persuasive.” She tips her head back slightly, and you watch wide-eyed as she brings the bottle to her lips. “Watch me, Ray,” she says. “You’re going to do the same thing to her once I’m done.”

The bottle empties slightly as Rika pours some of the elixir into her mouth. But she doesn’t swallow. Instead, she brushes her fingers against your jaw and turns your head back to face her. And then, in the next breath, her lips are on yours.

You freeze, stunned into inaction. Rika’s lips are soft, but you hardly have time to register their feeling before she pushes on your jaw again, forcing your mouth open. Something cold and syrupy trickles onto your tongue, but it’s immediately followed by the taste of Rika, sweet and warm. You vaguely register a choked kind of sound coming from Ray, but then you feel Rika’s tongue moving languidly against yours, and your senses are swiftly overwhelmed. You think that you should push her away, or struggle, but as she caresses your face and explores your mouth you can’t do anything but helplessly whimper. Because it feels good. Her skin is always so cold, but her mouth is hot, and you feel like you’re melting as she deepens the kiss. Somewhere along the way, you swallow convulsively, unable to take the liquid clogging your throat. And finally, Rika pulls away, leaving you panting and breathless.

An unexpected wave of dizziness crashes over you, and you’re suddenly grateful for the way Rika is still holding you from behind. You stare dazedly up at her, flushed and still gasping, and find her smiling back at you. “Good girl,” she murmurs. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

You cough. You’re not sure how quickly the elixir works, but your mind feels fuzzier already. You’re wondering if those are the effects of the elixir or the kiss when Rika speaks again.

“Ray. It’s your turn.”

Ray is staring at you. His eyes are enormous, his entire frame rigid and trembling. The look in his eyes is impossible to discern; a dozen different emotions flicker through, too fast to process. “I—” His face is flushed, and his hand shakes as he takes the bottle from Rika. “My savior, I—”

“You want her to stay, don’t you?” You can hear the smile in Rika’s voice, and she presses a kiss gently to your temple. “Didn’t you say you wanted her more than anything? You love her, don’t you, Ray?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Ray says immediately. He takes a step forward, bringing the bottle up to his mouth. “Of course I do. More than anything.” He looks at you, and his expression softens. “More than anything,” he repeats. “I want to make you happy. This elixir will make you happy. Will make _us_ happy. Okay?” He hesitates again, bottle still hovering by his lips. “Is that okay? I…I don’t want to do anything you don’t want me to do. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Your vision swims, and you know the drug is taking effect now. You’re not sure what you say to Ray, but then in the next second he’s pressed against you, cupping your face gently in his hands.

“I love you,” he whispers. “I love you, I love you.” He takes some of the elixir into his mouth, and then covers your mouth with his. You feel it trickling down your throat again, and you feel Ray’s gentle probing as he tentatively moves his lips against yours. He treats you carefully, like you’re made of glass, his kisses deep and slow. It’s clear he doesn’t know entirely what he’s doing—he doesn’t have experience, not like Rika does—and yet this kiss makes you ache all the same, your body burning for more of his touch even as your mind rebels. His fingers stroke your hair, and his tongue moves slowly against yours as more of the elixir trickles into your mouth. When he finally pulls away, your knees give out from under you. He catches you by the elbows as Rika supports you from behind, and between the two of them you manage to stand upright again.

You can’t stop shaking, and yet your body is achingly hot. _Please_ , you want to say, but your lips can’t form words. Even if they could, you don’t even know what you’d be begging for. Your mind is sluggish, and your movements are slow.

“It looks like the elixir is working. She needs rest,” Rika says. Her voice sounds faraway. “You don’t need to worry anymore. You’re safe now, with us. Ray and I will take care of you. Ray, take her back to her old room. I’m sure she’s missed it.”

You’re scooped up into Ray’s arms, and you’re too dizzy to struggle as he begins carrying you up a flight of stairs. “You’re so light,” he says. “So delicate. It was so easy to bring you here. I’m glad. I’m—” His voice cracks, and you vaguely register the wetness of tears dripping from his face. “I’m so happy. I’m so happy you’re back.” A familiar set of doors swing open, and then Ray is putting you back on your old bed, where you had slept only a few nights ago.

He kisses you again, on the forehead this time. You can see him smiling down at you as your consciousness begins to fade.

“Welcome home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the night, "Unknown" pays you a little visit, and offers you a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware that the rating has been bumped up. And please read the notes at the end!

He comes to you in the middle of the night.

You wake up with a start, a scream in your throat, only to have a rough hand clamp over your lips and a low voice rasp in your ear: _Don’t be scared. It’s just me. I came to see you._

You struggle, your eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room as you barely make out the outline of a man hovering above you in bed. The man is surprisingly light, but he’s stronger than you, and has you pinned down with his hands and knees.

He laughs, the sound low and hoarse. “You’re tougher than you look, aren’t you?” He’s grinning, eyes glinting, and you instantly recognize the pale green hue. This is Ray, but also isn’t. This is the man who kidnapped you, tearing you from V’s side. This is the "Unknown" who had called you, and promised that he’d make you his. He smirks down at you now, fingers playing idly with your hair as he strokes it away from your face. “Ray, that weakling—he was stuck sleeping for days after his first dose of the elixir. But you’re wide awake and thrashing around like it’s nothing. Maybe the dose wasn’t strong enough?”

You don’t reply, voice stuck with fear and mind still slow with grogginess. There’s something wrong with you. Your body is trembling so violently you think you must be freezing, and yet your skin feels like it’s burning up. It’s the drug. You know it must be. You vaguely remember what Rika told you about the elixir—she had mentioned dopamine, and your minds swims with memories of what you had learned about the neurotransmitter a long time ago, in your psychology classes. Something about reward circuitry in the brain. Something about want, desire, _addiction._

“Or…” He chuckles, looking intently down at you. “Maybe it was strong enough after all?” His hand moves down your face, brushing against your lips.

You turn your head away from him, biting back a low groan. The drug’s definitely done something to you. You want something. You’re hungry for something, but you don’t know what it is.

Or maybe you do, and you just don’t _want_ to know what it is.

You remember warm breath, lingering touches, the heat and melting pleasure of the way they had explored your mouth—and you groan again, violently shaking your head. You didn’t want those kisses. You don’t want those kisses. The drug is messing with your head, and you need to get out of here before either Rika or Ray can do anything else to you. You need to return to V.

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Your kidnapper is still watching you closely, all but straddling you on the bed as he shifts closer to you. He tilts his head slightly as he considers you, still grinning. His face is the same as Ray’s, and yet he feels like an entirely different person. “The kiss. I know Ray was thinking about it. He was thinking about it for hours, until he fell asleep. But that wasn’t all he was thinking about.”

He leans in closer, smile widening across his face. “He hides it all behind that innocent face. But you’ve got no _idea_ what he was imagining about you as he fell asleep. You’ve got no idea what he wanted to do to you. What he wants to do to you.” He pauses, and seems to notice your worsening trembling. Letting out a little snicker, he lowers himself even further, until your faces are only a breath apart. “What I want to do to you, right now.”

You make a move to turn your head away from him again, only for him to grip you by the chin and force you to look up at him. “It’s why I came here, you know. Ray wanted you so _much_ , thought so many bad things about you—but in the end, he’s soft. He and the savior, both of them—they had you right there, in between them, trembling and gasping, and they just left it at kissing. Soft,” he says, shaking his head. “But I’m different. I’m not soft. I’m—” He snickers again. It’s bright, uneven, and unnatural, utterly different from Ray’s sweet chuckling. “I’m _here._ And so are you.”

He cups the side of your face, and to your horror, you feel your body aching to lean into his touch. It’s the drug, you know it is, and yet it physically hurts to turn away from him. You feel his other hand on your leg, indolently making its way up to your thigh as it brushes against the fabric of your skirt.

“Stop it,” you plead, trying to free yourself from his grip. “Where's Ray?” You don’t want either of them in here with you, but if you had to choose one right now, it would be Ray. Despite everything else, Ray is undeniably sweet and kind, and his eyes reveal none of the dark desire that you see in this stranger's.

“Ray?” He chuckles, shaking his head. “Do you like him better? That whiny little weakling?” He pauses, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “Well. If you do like him better, maybe I can bring him back. But you should try us both out before you decide, shouldn’t you?” His thumb lingers by your lips, and he smiles again. “You can choose once I’m done.”

You frown, confused, but before you can say anything, he closes the distance between you and captures your lips with his.

His kiss is nothing like Ray’s. It’s rough, bruising, and _demanding_ , his tongue intertwining with yours as he delves deep into your mouth. There’s none of Ray’s gentle hesitation, none of his reverent adoration. There’s just heat and raw desire, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your inner thighs as his hand slips under your skirt. You gasp, bucking to try to get him off you, and you can feel him smiling into the kiss as he only tightens his grip. He forces your legs apart as he deepens the kiss, and you feel a sudden pressure as he pushes his knee in between them.

You break the kiss, desperately struggling underneath him. “Wait—” But then he grinds his knee down, and you can’t muffle the cry that escapes your lips.

He grins wider at the sound, moving one hand up to run a finger against your lower lip. “Yes,” he whispers, hoarsely. “Just like that. Make more sounds like that, just for me.” He continues to grind his leg against you as he presses his lips to yours again, and you try to choke back noises that threaten to come spilling from your mouth.

It feels good. Your mind is swimming with pleasure, pleasure that you know isn’t normal. You’re aching for his touch, for Ray’s touch, for Rika’s touch. You want all of them here, in bed with you, touching and caressing you, and yet you also _don’t._ You know it’s wrong. You know you shouldn’t want them here, and yet you do. It’s the drug. It’s twisting your mind. You try to remember V, and try to remember that you have to get out of here.

“Don’t try to fight it.” He pulls back by just a bare inch, his breath hot against your lips. He’s panting, his face flushed as he smiles at you. “My savior is smart, you know. By pairing the elixir with those kisses, she’s gotten you hooked. Addicted to the rush of dopamine that comes with our touches. Addicted to _us._ ” His other hand trails down, tracing the curve of your breast, and he grins again as your breath hitches. “That idiot Ray will tattle on me if I go any further, and my savior will be mad. So I’ll stop here for tonight. I think I’ve made my point, anyway.”

Straightening up, he peers intently into your eyes. You can still feel his fingers tracing lazy patterns against your thigh, and you fail to suppress the shiver that runs down your spine. “There’s so much we have planned for you here. Plans to capture the traitor. Plans to capture the RFA. I can be your guide. It’ll be a lot of fun. I promise.” He pauses, and frowns a little. “Or. If you really want Ray back, I can wake him up again. And he can be your guide. I’ll have you one way or the other, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. It’s just up to you.”

He presses one last, hard kiss against your lips, and then pulls back.

“Me or Ray. Which one do you want?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo guys. So this chapter is a bit shorter, and I actually have a lot of the next chapter written up already (which will feature more Rika--sorry she wasn't present in this chapter), but I cut it off here for a reason. And that reason is that the answer to Unknown's little question will depend on you guys. You're all the MCs here, so you get to decide: who should be the dominant personality from here on out? Ray or Unknown? It's clear from the story that one personality is usually in control for large stretches of time, so while the other one might pop up here and there from now on, I do think it would make more sense for one to dominate over the other. 
> 
> Let me know! Whoever gets more votes will become the dominant personality in future chapters. You can also choose to say you want both Ray and Unknown, and if that wins I guess I'll just split up future chapters 50/50. (I think it might be a little odd for him to be switching off that often, but I'm happy to do it if you guys want it). 
> 
> Last note: as you can tell, the rating has been bumped up. Let me know if this makes you guys uncomfortable. Or also feel free to let me know if you want to rating to go up even higher ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Thanks for reading/leaving kudos/commenting! It's all very much appreciated, and helps keep me motivated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An extra dose of the elixir comes with a proper cleansing session, designed just for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cleansing session (Ray x MC x Rika) really merits that M rating up there. Please don't proceed if you're a kiddie.

When you wake up the next morning, you find Rika sitting beside your bed, reading a book. Sunlight streams in from the bay window, bathing her in a golden glow, and for a moment you almost forget everything you know about what she’s done. She looks so beautiful, so _innocent,_ that it takes you several more seconds before you notice the vial of blue liquid in her lap.   

You immediately jolt upright, pressing yourself back against the headboard of the bed. It’s the drug. She’s come to give you more of the drug. Your body still feels slow and sluggish, but it’s not trembling anymore. If you’re forced to take any more of it, though, you know it’ll start all over again.

Rika looks up from her book, seemingly startled by your sudden movement. “You’re awake,” she says. She smiles at you, and it startles you anew how warm and _genuine_ her smiles seem, even now. You know she means it when she says she likes you. You know both she and Ray think they’re making you happy by giving you the drug. And somehow, that scares you even more. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

You swallow, winding the sheets between your fingers as you stare at the vial of the elixir. “Please don’t make me take any more of that,” you say, instead of responding to her question. Clearing your throat, you try to stop the pitiful quavering in your voice. “You promised that I would only have to take it once.”

Rika blinks, her eyes bright and thoughtful. “Yes…I did say that, didn’t I?” She glances down at the vial, as if she had forgotten it was even there. “Ray told me that he misbehaved last night and visited you. He can be a little scary when he’s being bad like that, don’t you think?” She stands, placing the book on the dresser as she seats herself on the edge of your bed. “I was just worried about you,” she continues, and sincere concern seems to flash across her features. “If he scared you, I wanted to make sure you were all right. The elixir can help soothe people’s fears.”

Memories of last night come back in a sudden rush, and you feel your skin heating up as you remember everything that happened. Your body aches as you remember the way he touched you, and you realize that the elixir hasn’t actually worn off at all. Its effects on your body may have faded slightly, but your mind is still swamped with unwanted thoughts that shift restlessly to and fro.

“…so he did scare you, after all.” Rika shifts closer to you on the bed, and you try not to flinch as she reaches out to gently touch your cheek. “Don’t worry,” she says, her voice soft and serene. “Ray is back to being a good boy, and he won’t do anything like that again. I promise.” She smiles at you suddenly, and too late you realize that you’ve unconsciously leaned into her touch. “How cute,” she murmurs, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “You’re so easily soothed. Like an innocent little puppy.”

“Rika,” you say, but then stop there. You don’t know how to continue. You don’t know what you want to say. Your hearts thuds in your chest, your body heating up again. You remember the kisses, and you struggle to keep your eyes from dropping down to her lips. You can’t let her give you more of the drug.

The vial lies on the dresser beside the book, but Rika isn’t paying it any attention. Her gaze remains fixed on you, green eyes looking steadily into yours. “You really are…so very lovely,” she says, quietly. Her fingers move down, languorously tracing your jawline. “Our world is going to be so beautiful. Can you imagine it? Paradise has already become so much brighter with you here, bathing us in your light.”

You sit there, motionless, as if you’re under a spell. Her voice is hypnotic, and her gaze sucks you in. But then there’s a sudden knock on the door, and the moment is broken as Rika looks away. You let out a shaky exhalation of breath you’d been holding, and watch as the door swings open.

“Savior! I’ve brought breakfast for her.” That gentle voice is immediately recognizable, and you tense up again as you turn to the doorway. Ray is there, walking towards you with a large tray of steaming hot food. His eyes widen when they meet yours, before quickly dropping down to the ground. A faint flush of pink colors his ears, and he swiftly places the tray down onto the dresser. It’s crowded with sausages, eggs, ham, and potatoes, all cooked to perfection. “Ah. You’re awake. I…I brought you breakfast. It’s similar to the breakfast I made you the first time,” he says to you, his voice suddenly small and uncertain. “Do you remember? You liked the eggs a lot, so I worked really hard on them this time, too.” He smiles tentatively. “They’re soft and fluffy.”

He hesitates when you don’t say anything, and you watch as he glances nervously at Rika, who only smiles at him and nods. Turning back to you, Ray continues, “It’s an apology. For last night. I lost control and—and someone bad came out of me. He scared you. I’m sorry.” His voice trembles, and his eyes are wide with what you know are genuine sorrow and regret. “I don’t ever want to hurt you, or scare you. I only want to be good to you, and make you happy. And I promise I will, from now on. So please…please don’t hate me. I’m really sorry.” He droops slightly, like a wilted flower, and when he looks up at you his gaze is soft and beseeching. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Just tell me.”

You feel a faint throb of pain and pity deep inside you, just as you always did whenever you caught a glimpse of just how broken the two people in front of you really were. But you shake your head, shoving those thoughts away. You can feel sorry for them, but you can’t let yourself be swayed. You have to leave here. “Ray. Rika. Won’t you let me go?” At their blank expressions, you try again, leaning forward in the bed. “Or, won’t you come with me? We can leave this place, all three of us. And we can get you help. We can all rejoin the RFA. And they’ll help with treatment—”

“Again with the treatment. Haven’t we moved past this by now?” Rika’s voice cools, as it did before when you had first suggested going to the hospital. “I wish you’d stop bringing it up. It really does make you sound like V.”

“I don’t understand whenever you say things like this. Why would you want to leave here? This is our paradise,” Ray says, looking bewildered. “It’s scary out there, you know. There are many dangerous people who would hurt us. People like V. I don’t want him to take you away again.” His voice shakes, and he takes a sudden step forward. “I won’t let him. He almost ruined everything for us once already.”

With a sinking heart, you wonder if reasoning with them really is impossible. You’re opening your mouth to respond when Ray suddenly kneels on the edge of the bed.

“Aren’t you happy here with us?” he says. He stretches his hand out against the bedsheets, tentative and searching for yours. “I’m happy here with you. So happy I feel like my heart will burst.” He takes your hand gently, and with trembling fingers brings it up to his chest. You can feel his heart thudding against your palm, quick and erratic.

“Ray…” Your breath catches at the look in his eyes, but you force yourself to pull your hand away. “This isn’t right. This…this isn’t normal. I have to—”

“You’re still talking like that, after all. Normal and abnormal. Right and wrong.” Rika sighs, slowly intertwining her fingers with your other hand. “It looks like V’s poison sunk deeper into you than I thought.” She exchanges a look with Ray, nodding slightly, and then you see him reach for the vial of the elixir.

“No—” You rear back, panic flaring inside you immediately. You can’t take any more of that. You’ve managed to hang onto your senses so far, but something inside you _knows_. If you take any more of that, it’ll be too much. You’ll be overwhelmed. You’ll be lost, just like these two.

“It’s all right,” Rika hushes you softly, and presses her lips against the back of your hand. She’s surprisingly stronger than she looks, and you can’t pull your hand free. “The dosage is much smaller this time.”

Ray grips your other wrist, popping off the cork of the vial with his mouth and moving closer to you on the bed. “Please don’t be afraid,” he says. “The second time isn’t nearly as potent as the first. Your body will accept it much more quickly. Even I was all right. And you’re a much stronger person than I am.” He settles in behind you, cutting off your escape route—when you try to back up, you only back up against his chest, and remain positioned between his legs. And for the second time in as many days, you find yourself trapped between these two again, only now with Rika in front and Ray behind.

You feel Ray lean into you from behind, one hand resting hesitantly on your shoulder. “Are you comfortable?” he says, leaning forward so that he can look at your face. “My savior always knows exactly how much elixir to give people to make them happy. If you take this, you’ll be much, much happier. You won’t talk about leaving anymore.” He looks so earnest, so _concerned_. He really does care for you, and really does want to make you happy. But that happiness lies in giving you this elixir.

“Ray, it won’t be true happiness. Don’t you understand that?” you say, trying to wrest your arm from his grip. “You and Rika, your ideas of happiness—”

“Give her the elixir, Ray,” Rika interrupts, eyes darkening at your words. “We have to purge V’s corruption from her. Do it like you did yesterday.”

Ray pauses, his eyes darting back down to your face. “Savior,” he says, apprehensively. “She looks scared.”

Rika’s expression softens as she looks at you, and, leaning forward, she presses a kiss to your forehead. “I do like you. I really do,” she says, with a pleading kind of sincerity uncannily similar to Ray’s. Her fingers trail down your cheek, and she stares searchingly into your eyes. “Both of us do. We only want you to be happy. You may think it’s false happiness now, but you’ll understand once you take this elixir.”

“Rika—” Your next word cuts off in a gasp as Rika moves downward, her lips meeting the delicate skin of your neck.

“Give it to her, Ray,” she breaths, against your throat. It tickles and yet also sends a low throb of heat through your abdomen. Your breathing quickens as she kisses a gentle path down the column of your throat, her lips warm against your skin.  

Ray obediently tips the vial of elixir back into his mouth, tilts your head back, and kisses you like he did yesterday. Maybe it’s just your imagination, but you swear you can feel his heart pounding louder and harder as he cups your cheek and pulls you closer to him. The elixir comes pouring into your mouth, and you can’t help but swallow once as your mouth fills, but you don’t swallow it all. Ray’s fingers are trembling as he timidly explores your mouth, letting more of the elixir trickle onto your tongue, and you notice his grip begin to slacken as he focuses his attention on kissing you. Seizing the opportunity, you yank yourself back, wrenching yourself free of his grip and coughing violently as you choke whatever is left of the elixir out of your mouth. It splatters down the front of your blouse, staining the blue cotton, and both Rika and Ray freeze in apparent surprise.

Ray recovers first. His eyes wide with shock and consternation, he stammers, “M-my savior, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—the elixir, I’ve wasted it—”

“It’s all right.” Rika looks strangely calm, her gaze on what’s left of the blue liquid in the small vial. “She drank a little already, and we still have more. We can always make a new batch, too.” Her gaze shifts to you, and she smiles faintly. “That…was very bad of you,” she says. She unexpectedly doesn’t seem upset, her smile almost teasing as her fingers toy with the top button of your blouse. “You spilled valuable elixir all over yourself. This shirt is going to stain.”

“I’m sorry,” you manage, still coughing. “But I won’t take any more of that elixir. I can’t.” Your mind already feels fuzzy again even from the small amount you just had to swallow. You’re suddenly hyperaware of the way you’re still pressed up against Ray’s chest, of the way one of his arms is wrapped loosely around your waist, and of the way Rika’s body is nearly draped over yours, her fingers still playing idly with the buttons on your shirt.

Ray rubs gentle circles against your back, patting lightly with his other hand as you continue to cough. “Are you okay?” he says, looking worried. “Savior, maybe we should postpone giving her more of the elixir until later.

Rika hums noncommittally, and you watch as she undoes the first button of your blouse. “This is very pretty,” she says to you. “It suits you. It wouldn’t do to have it ruined because of the elixir. If you take it off now, we can still place it in the wash and make sure the stains all come out.” Her fingers brush against your skin as she undoes the next button, and even that brief contact sends tingles shooting through your body.

Behind you, Ray has gone completely still, and when you chance a glance back you see him staring, wide-eyed and bright pink. “S-Savior,” he stammers. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure the elixir will work,” Rika says, and undoes yet another button. When you dazedly move your free hand to stop her, she catches it, intertwining your fingers. “That’s enough of a break, I think. She’s stopped coughing. Give her the rest of the elixir, all right, Ray? Remember, it’s to make her happy.”

“…y-yes,” Ray says, in a very small voice. You can feel the heat emanating from his body, and his hand is unsteady as he brings the vial to his lips again. “I’m sorry. This is to make you happy,” he repeats, like a mantra. His face is still flushed, and his gaze darts once back down to your chest before quickly returning to your face. “Sorry,” he says again, and he pulls you gently into another kiss. His grasp on you has tightened, your arms locked by your sides, and the elixir you already swallowed mixed with the coughing fit you had make you feel too weak and woozy to resist again.

You feel Rika kiss your neck again, and turn your head slightly to watch as she drops kisses down to your collarbone. And, with every button she undoes of your blouse, she drops another kiss lower on your body. Something throbs inside you with every brush of her lips against your skin, and you have to bite back the whimper that rises in your throat. You feel the familiar syrupy taste of the elixir on your tongue, and for a moment you’re distracted by the insistent heat of Ray’s lips moving against yours.

But then your torso suddenly feels cold, and you realize that Rika’s slipped your blouse off. You feel her fingers brushing lightly against one of the straps of your bra, and you swallow reflexively, choking down the elixir.

Ray pulls back slightly, smiling at you even as he trembles. “You did it,” he whispers, bright and pleased. “You drank it all.” A familiar wave of nausea rolls over you, but Ray was right—the feeling is not as unpleasant as it was the first time. A few moments pass, and you sigh, cradling your head. You don’t feel that bad. Instead, you feel almost _good,_ and something in your dazed mind tells you that that’s worse.

“Thank you for drinking it all. Now, we can—” He stops abruptly, and you suddenly become remember that you’re sitting there in nothing but your white skirt and bra. Ray’s lips are parted, but no words come out, and another flush is making its way up his pale neck. In the next second, he turns his head away so quickly you wonder if he’s given himself whiplash. “I-I’m sorry,” he says, his voice unsteady. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. Now that I’ve given you the elixir, I think I should leave you with my savior. I’ll leave you for now—”

“No. I still need you here, Ray.” Rika runs a hand gently down your side, smiling when she elicits a shiver from your frame. Her gaze settles on you, roaming slowly over your figure, and under her scrutiny you feel that same aching heat somewhere deep in your body. “This is always the critical period,” she says to Ray. “She’s just taken the elixir. If we want to make sure she stays with us this time, we want to make her as happy as possible right now.”

“H-happy? Didn’t the elixir already make her happy?” Ray swallows audibly, his voice cracking slightly at the end. “I…my savior, what do you mean?”

“Nothing bad,” Rika says placidly. “Usually, we have to use…rougher methods of persuasion with the other believers, so that they can get addicted to that pain, and keep coming back for more. More happiness, and more pain, over and over again. But you…you’re special to us. Isn’t she, Ray? She’s…our light. We don’t want to hurt her.”

“Of course not,” Ray says immediately. “We would never.”

“That’s right,” Rika says, smiling. “So instead, we’re just going to make her feel good. Then she’ll be addicted to that pleasure, and we can keep making her feel good forever. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Yes,” Ray agrees, hesitantly. “I think so.”

You listen to their conversation in a haze, warmth pooling in your abdomen. You don’t feel quite as dazed as you did yesterday, but you still feel as though your mind is trapped in a fog. And when you feel Rika’s hand on you again, you strangely don’t want to pull away.

“You…really are beautiful. Just like the moon,” she whispers to you, and you watch as she resumes her trail of butterfly kisses down your exposed skin. Only it feels different now. It felt good before, but know it feels like every kiss is a touch of fire, burning you up. It’s unbearable, and yet you don’t want it to stop.

“Rika,” you gasp out, and she responds with a light little laugh and a gentle nip as she continues to make her way downwards.

Behind you, Ray makes a low, almost helpless kind of groaning noise. You know he’s watching just as closely as you are, and the thought sends a thrill of pleasure down your spine. _It shouldn’t,_ a small voice in the back of your minds reminds you. _Those are the effects of the drug. Snap out of it._ But then you feel Ray pressing a gentle, timid kiss against your shoulder, and the fog overwhelms that voice. You can’t help but moan softly, and your body seems to move on its own, tilting your neck back to give him better access to the rest of you.

Ray’s breath hitches, and he kisses you again, on the neck this time. He glances up to meet your gaze after every move he makes, as if he’s waiting for you to stop him, or tell him to wait. “Is…is this okay?” he asks, uncertainly. “Can…can I really touch you?”

You feel a sudden wet heat swirling around your stomach, and you whimper as you feel Rika’s tongue glide along your navel. “Yes,” you whisper, though you hardly even remember what you’re agreeing to anymore.

Ray exhales shakily. “I…I love you,” he says, and kisses you again, full on the lips. “I really do.” He drops kisses along your jawline, up your cheek, and then reaches your ear. “I love you more than anything,” he breathes in your ear, and your entire body trembles in response. His tongue slides along the shell of your ear right as Rika nips again at your skin, and you can’t help the low groan of pleasure that escapes your throat.

“Good girl,” Rika praises, moving up to kiss you lightly on the lips. “Be more honest, just like that. Don’t deny the feelings inside you, whatever they may be. You can be yourself with us. Do you understand?” You nod, because you think that’s what she wants from you, and you’re rewarded with a smile and a deep, languid kiss. Her hand drops down as she kisses you, and you jerk in surprise when you feel her feather-light touch tracing the lacy patterns on your brassiere. She squeezes very gently, still kissing you, and you moan, shifting back against Ray.

Ray gasps suddenly, his breathing coming out in short pants, and a part of you realizes that you’ve grinded up against him, still in between his legs. He whispers your name, burying his face in your hair and kissing your temple. “Are you feeling good?” he whispers hoarsely. “I hope you’re feeling good. I want to make you feel even better. I—I love you so much.”

“Yes,” you murmur, leaning back against him. “It feels good.” A distant voice inside your mind screams at you not to say that, yells that you shouldn’t encourage either of them, and yet the pleasure rolling over you muffles that voice within moments.

“Good,” Ray says, breaking out into a brilliant smile. “Good, I’m so glad. I’m—I’m so happy when you’re happy.”

Pausing in her ministrations, Rika moves her hand back up to your lips, tracing them slowly as she studies your face. “Are you really happy?” she questions softly.

This is a test, you think, but your foggy mind can’t figure out what the answer is, or what’s it’s even for. The light weight of her fingers on your lips is distracting. They’re so soft. Everything about Rika and Ray is so soft and warm, you feel like you could melt into them forever. Distantly, you think that you want to share this melting feeling with them. And so you part your lips slightly, and take one of Rika’s slender fingers into your mouth as you grind back against Ray again, slower and harder than before.

You vaguely register the surprise that flashes across Rika’s face, as well as the soft whine from Ray behind you. You let your tongue glide over the digit, sucking gently, and feel a rush of gratification at the sudden flush of color rising in Rika’s face. Both Rika and Ray say your name at the same time, hushed and tender, and you sigh contentedly, wondering why you hadn’t started reciprocating earlier.

That reminds you. You let your teeth graze against her skin one last time before you pull back, your gaze shifting down to study her clothing. She’s wearing another form-fitting black dress, but it’s still far more clothing than you’re wearing. You glance back at Ray and notice that he’s fully clothed, too. Reaching out, you tug at the strap of Rika’s dress with one hand as you undo the button of Ray’s jacket with the other. Your mind is too clouded for you to form any articulate sentences, but you hope they’ll understand your intent.

Ray stammers something incoherent, flushing an even deeper red than before, while Rika clears her throat and catches your wrist. She's smiling, looking immensely pleased despite her sudden embarrassment. “Actions do speak louder than words,” she says, giggling softly. “So it looks like you answered my question very clearly.” She looks past you to make eye contact with Ray. “It looks like this cleansing session is over. We should let her rest a bit, have a chance to recover and eat the breakfast you made for her. After all, we have very important plans for tonight, and we need her to be in perfect condition, don’t we?”

There’s a brief pause during which you feel Ray’s hand squeezing yours, as if he never wants to let go. But then he nods. “Yes, my savior,” he says. “Do you…do you think it was a successful cleansing? Do you really think she’s happy now?”

Rika brushes her fingers over your knuckles, tracing them as she smiles at you. “I think so. She’s a little dazed right now from the elixir, but you can ask her yourself in a few hours, when the immediate physical effects wear off.” After a few lingering touches, they both stand, and suddenly you feel much, much colder alone on the bed. “Enjoy your meal,” Rika says, still smiling. “I’ll send Ray to come pick you up in a few hours. Oh, and I’ll have one of the believers put your blouse in the wash. We wouldn’t want it to stain.”

Ray brings the blanket up to cover your body. “I’ll send someone to bring you new clothes in the meantime. Call me if you get cold, okay?” He hovers over you, looking concerned, and you stare confusedly back up at him.

You do feel cold. Everything ended so quickly. You thought there would be some kind of finale, but there wasn’t. They both just stopped all of a sudden, and you don’t understand why. You want more.

Ray leans down and kisses you on the cheek, and you notice the pink tip to his ears. He blushes easily, you think, as he ducks his head in embarrassment. “Enjoy breakfast. You have to be healthy,” he tells you, and finally moves away. “I’ll come get you soon.”

You watch after them, staring as they both linger a moment longer in the doorway. “We’ll be happy here. This is our paradise, and we’ll keep you safe from all outside corruption,” Rika says.

“Thank you for drinking the second dose,” Ray says. “You really are a kind person. A good, wonderful person.”

With two last, pleasant smiles, they leave, closing the doors behind them. On the other side, you can hear the lock click into place.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere on the outskirts of the compound, far from you and far outside your drug-induced haze of awareness, two figures move between the shadows of the trees.

“V said they brought her back here. It must’ve been that hacker.” Seven crouches behind a hedge, peeking out to make sure no believers are near. “Keep your eyes peeled for any members of the compound.”

The other man only groans, running a gloved hand through his long hair. “Why am I here, again?” Vanderwood grumbles, sighing deeply.

“Baby cars. Two of them.”

“Right. You'd better not die before you can give me those cars.” Sighing again, Vanderwood scans the perimeter, fingering the taser hidden under his shirt. “We’re clear. Let’s go find this girl. Again.”

“Great.” Seven grins, getting to his feet. “Operation: Rescue V’s Princess, Part 2! Here we go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor (?) MC. It won't be that easy to change their minds about anything, and it's hard to do much when your brain is addled with drugs. Things are only going to get harder for her from here on out. Thanks to all you guys who commented! Ray got the most requests, more than Unknown (or both), so he'll be the dominant personality, but no worries Unknown fans--he'll still be making appearances in the future. And now, enter the rest of the RFA, who obviously won't just be derping around while the MC remains kidnapped. The main focus of this fic will obviously be Ray x MC x Rika, but feel free to let me know if you really want to see any other characters/pairings in particular. 
> 
> Thanks again to all of you for reading/kudo-ing lol/commenting! I'm sorry if I can't always respond to all comments individually, but please know that I'm reading and loving each one of them :)


	4. Chapter 4

It isn’t until you’ve eaten, stripped out of the rest of your clothing, and stepped into the bracing cold water of the shower that your mind starts to feel like your own again.

You stand under the steady stream of water, trembling and struggling to replay the past hour in your head. Waking up to see Rika. Ray bringing breakfast. The second dose of the drug. Your concrete memories stop there. The rest is lost in a hazy sea of pleasure. You remember snatches of soft voices, heated touches, and repeated kisses, but you shake your head violently before they can become any clearer.

You don’t want to remember the rest. Even from the fragmented memories you do have, you can feel your body warming up again. You try to remember V instead. V, the man from whom you were stolen away. You try to think of his gentle touch on your head, and his kind smile. But as you stand there under the water, memories of him dissolve into thoughts of snow white hair and golden tresses, of multiple shades of hungry green eyes.

Shuddering violently, you squeeze your thighs together and turn the shower handle until the water is even colder. You feel like you’re burning. One thing you remember more clearly than anything else is how both Rika and Ray just stopped in the end. Your body aches with unfulfillment, and you’re mortified as you realize why. It’s a familiar enough feeling, only amplified over a hundred times; you know that’s the effect of the drug.

Quickly finishing your shower, you wrap a fluffy white towel around yourself and step out into the bedroom. Your mind is still fuzzy, but you think a few hours have passed by now, and you’re sure Ray will be arriving to come bring you to Rika soon. You wish you had your phone, but it’s been missing ever since you got here. Either Rika or Ray must’ve taken it from you.

You hear rustling outside the window, and you glance out to see the branches of the tree knocking gently against the glass as the wind blows. You think about V and the rest of the RFA. They must be so worried. As you sigh, mind clouded with both anxieties and lingering dazedness, you drop the towel and begin slipping into the clothing a member of Mint Eye left for you on the dresser. You’ve snapped your new bra in place when you hear the knocking on the window again.

You glance instinctively back a second time, looking for the source of the noise. You find Seven staring back at you.

… _what?_

You rub your eyes, but the scene doesn’t change. The source of the noise is none other than 707, balancing precariously on the tree’s branches as he fiddles with the lock on the window.

You stare, wondering if the drugs are making you hallucinate.

Seven, meanwhile, looks just as shocked to see you. His eyes about triple in size, his face goes as red as his hair, and he sways dangerously on the tree branch. Panic galvanizing you into action, you run for the window, throwing it open and grabbing him by the jacket before he loses his balance. The two of your tumble down onto the carpet, just as you hear the tree branch snapping outside. There’s a thunderous crash, followed by the distant shouts of Mint Eye members. Seven immediately leaps to his feet, returning to the window, closing it, and drawing the blinds before turning back to you.

“It’s you,” he says, relief flooding his expression as he collapses back down beside you. “I was so worried I got the wrong room, but it’s really you. I—” Freezing, he flushes scarlet again, and quickly turns away. “Sorry, I—it looks like I dropped in while you were getting dressed. You should hurry and finish, and then we have to get out of here.”

Confusion swamps you as you sit there on the ground, dizzy and disoriented. “What…how did you get here?” Sitting up straighter, you look around, remembering who Seven was last with when you saw him. “Where’s V? Is he okay?”

Seven’s eyes soften, and he pats you reassuringly on the shoulder. “V is fine. He’s back at the cabin, and we set up defense measures around it. As long as he stays there, he’ll be safe. He really wanted to come, but I made him stay and rest. In his state, he’d be captured in no time.” Shaking his head, he continues, “Anyway, you should worry more about yourself.” He pauses, seeming to once again take notice of your lack of dress, and flushes red as he quickly retracts his hand. “But we can talk later! We have to hurry and get out of here. Vanderwood’s preparing an escape route for us, so all we have to do is make it out of the building, and we’ll be home free.”

You nod, quickly slipping into the clothes the believers provided for you. Your mind is still swimming with dazed confusion, but you know he’s right. You have to get out of here, first and foremost. You have to escape this place. You look up to see Seven frowning at you, and suddenly you realize that you’re still trembling from the aftereffects of the elixir.

“Are you cold?” he says, and shrugs off his signature hoodie. Draping it over your shoulders, he grins at you. “Don’t be scared! The defender of justice is here, and the heroes always save the princess.” Leaning down, he squeezes your shoulder, golden eyes looking warmly into yours. “I’ll bring you back to your prince, all right? Safe and sound! And we won’t let him kidnap you again. From here on out, you’re done being the damsel in distress. I promise.” 

Despite everything, you can’t help but giggle at Seven’s theatrics, and you feel a rush of gratitude towards him. You really are a part of the RFA, and nothing Ray or Rika can do will change that. You have to leave this place. And once you do, you’ll be sure to do whatever you can to help Rika and Ray properly, through professional treatment.

 _I have to leave this place_ , you repeat in your mind, trying to ignore the heat pulsing low in your body every time you think about either one of your two captors.

“You’re right. Thank you, Seven. Let’s—”

A sharp knock on the door cuts off your next words, and you watch as Seven’s eyes widen with dismay. You whirl around, knowing it must be Ray.

“The closet,” you hiss to Seven, gesturing to the large wardrobe in the corner of the room. Understanding immediately, Seven turns and bolts into the closet, tucking himself into the mostly empty space. You toss his hoodie in there after him before pushing the door closed.

There’s another knock, and then the door slowly starts to open. Thinking fast, you strip off the clothes you’re wearing and chuck them under the bed, making sure they’re hidden by the covers. As soon as you straighten up, Ray comes walking into the room.

He freezes as soon as he sees you, eyes widening and face flushing scarlet, and for a moment you pause, distracted and confused. His reaction reminds you exactly of Seven’s, and for the first time you notice that the two of them look strangely similar. But you don’t have time to dwell on this fact, as Ray is backpedaling in front of you, gaze still averted.

“I…I’m sorry,” he says, staring down at the carpet. “I thought you were already dressed. I’ll step outside so you can finish.”

“No,” you say, taking a quick step forward. You need to buy more time than just a few seconds. “I don’t have any clothing. The only thing left on the bed was underwear,” you lie, swallowing hard to keep your voice steady. “Do you think you can go get some for me? I’m kind of cold, and…” Feeling yourself heat up a bit, you add honestly, “…and this is a bit embarrassing.”

“What? They didn’t bring you any clothing?” Ray frowns, face hardening with displeasure. Pleasant as he is with you, it’s strange to see him angry. You’re reminded of the rage he showed towards V, and you nod, reminding yourself that this man in front of you is dangerous. He kidnapped you, and _drugged_ you, and you can’t stay here any longer. No matter how warm your body felt in his embrace, or how it reacted to his touch.

So you lie again. “No, no one brought me anything.”

Ray scowls, shaking his head and muttering about some believers needing to be punished, but then his face clears as he turns back to you. “I’m sorry,” he says again. “I’ll go and get some clothes for you myself. Wait here for me, okay? I’ll be right back.”

You nod, holding back a sigh of relief. Your plan, slipshod and last-minute as it was, seems to be working. “Thank you, Ray,” you say.

Ray hesitates, glancing back at you, and suddenly takes a few uncertain steps towards you. “Before I go, I wanted to ask—how are you feeling? Are you feeling happy?” His eyes are fixed on your face, searching your gaze, and you suddenly feel an unexpected wash of shame.

You know there’s no reason for you to feel guilty. He’s the one who kidnapped you, and he and Rika spent the entire morning messing with your mind. But when you see the hopeful look in his eyes, you still feel a surge of remorse at your deception. You’re planning on abandoning him again. You have no choice, but you’re still leaving him and Rika both.

“I…I’m happy,” you lie yet again, and feel another wave of guilt as Ray’s entire face lights up.

“I knew it,” he says, beaming. “You’re a kind person. And you belong here with us. I knew you’d be happy.” He gently takes your hands in his, and hesitates again before leaning down. “I love you,” he says, and then presses his lips to yours. It’s the first time he’s kissed you without the intent of administering the elixir, and yet you still feel a sudden rush of heat spreading through your body as he holds you close. He brushes his hand against your cheek, and you feel his tongue moving against your lips, gently seeking entrance. In the next moment, your body acts on its own, parting your lips to let him in. The brush of his tongue against yours is like an electric shock, and you shiver with sudden pleasure.

 _It’s the elixir._ You remember what Ray’s strange alter persona had said to you the other night, as well as Rika murmuring about an addiction to pleasure. The elixir is getting you hooked to their touch, and you crave it like a drug.

You hear yourself moaning softly into the kiss, and feel your tongue lazily moving against his. It’s like you can’t control your body. You shake with shockwaves of unnatural pleasure as Ray runs his hands gently through your hair. You have to push him away. You have to, and yet you don’t move. You have to stop him now, or this might go further, and you don’t have time for that. You have to escape with—

 _Seven._ Mortification surges through you as you remember Seven, still hiding in the closet. Snapping back to your senses, you quickly pull away from Ray, gasping for breath.

“I—please get me my clothes, Ray,” you say. You don’t have to fake the flush of embarrassment that colors your face, and Ray immediately nods.

“O-of course. I’m sorry, I got distracted. I…can’t seem to focus on anything else whenever you’re around,” he says, and smiles a little. He’s pink as well, and breathing heavily. “I’ll go get your clothes. Be right back. Wait for me, okay?”

You nod, feeling another twinge of guilt as Ray beams again, and wait until he finally closes the door behind him as he leaves. Immediately, you turn and run back to the closet, throwing the doors open. “I’m so sorry, Seven. Are you all right?”

Seven is hunched inside the wardrobe, his clothes rumpled and his face very red. He looks everywhere except at you. “I’m fine! Totally fine,” he says, scrambling out of the wardrobe. “More importantly, are you all right? They didn’t make you take the drug, did they? And that voice…” He trails off, face clouding with sudden unease. “That voice sounded…familiar. Was that the hacker?”

“Yes.” You nod, searching under the bed for the clothes you had hidden. For now, you ignore his question about the drug. It’ll only worry him, and you can talk about it later. “That was Ray. We have to hurry, Seven. He’ll be back soon, and—”

Your heart leaps into your throat as _another_ knock sounds at the door. Seven mutters a low curse, scrambling back into the closet, and you chuck the clothes back under the bed before running to the door. Ray can’t be back already. If he is, you need to figure out a new way to send him away.

You open the door, and feel your stomach drop when you see Rika, holding your old clothes folded neatly in her arms.  She smiles when she sees you, her gaze roving over your barely clothed figure, and that familiar heat pools low in your body as you step back to let her inside.

“Your pretty clothes finished washing, so I came here to bring them to you. But I just saw Ray leaving your room. He said no one brought you a change of clothes to wear?” she says, moving past you to place the clothes on the bed. “They’re usually very good about those kinds of errands. It’s not like any of the believers to be so forgetful.”

She sounds more disappointed than suspicious, but you can’t help but tense up anyway as she turns to face you. Seven is hidden only a few feet away, and if she discovers him, your chances at escape are over.

“You could wear your old clothes if you’d like, but I’d suggest waiting for Ray to come back. I told him to bring a lovely dress for you. We had one picked out.” Rika steps closer to you, and you have to ignore the instinct to immediately step back. You’re already shaken from the encounter with Ray, and seeing Rika now is driving your heart into a pounding panic. You try not to look at her lips, or her fingers, or anything about her that reminds you of what they did to you just a few hours ago. “An evening gown with lace and velvet. Modest, for the most part. Like you,” she says, smiling. “Though maybe not at the moment.” Her eyes dip down again, and you fight the urge not to fidget under her gaze.

“I’d be more modest if I could,” you mumble, crossing your arms over your chest.

Rika laughs, brows raised slightly. “Would you?” she says. “I noticed that poor Ray was flushed and breathless while he was leaving your room.” Taking another step forward, she tilts her head to the side as she looks at you. “I wonder why?”

She’s close to you, and your throat feels dry as you swallow. “I…I don’t know.”

Rika’s smile widens. “Liar,” she whispers. She leans in further, her lips a bare breath away from yours and her body leaning into you. “I’m a little jealous, you know,” she breathes, her voice low and teasing. “I like you just as much as he does. It’s not fair that he got to have you all to himself, no matter how brief the moment.” Taking your hand in hers, she brings it to her cheek. “Show me what he did to you. I want to do the same.” Your body, still warm from Ray’s kisses, flames into a burning heat as your bare skin meets hers.

A part of your mind rebels even now, reminding you that poor Seven is still there, barely a few feet away. He can hear everything that’s happening, and that part of your mind screams with mortification. That part of your mind reminds you that you have to resist the influence of the drug, and that you have to figure something out to send her away so that you can escape. But that part of your mind is blanketed by a familiar haze of pleasure as Rika brings her lips to yours, and within seconds your body is obeying her command.

You bring your other hand up to her face and deepen the kiss, just as Ray did, moving your tongue against the seal of her lips. She yields, parting them, and the sudden _hunger_ that grips you is almost frightening. In that moment, you really do feel like an addict, searching for your next fix. You explore her mouth with a fervor that seems to surprise even Rika, a low sound from her throat melting into a moan as you press your tongue against hers. Threading your fingers through her long hair, you suck on her lower lip, scraping your teeth against the sensitive skin before moving up to kiss her again. She makes soft sounds of pleasure that you devour just as hungrily as the tactile sensations of her body. You want more. You want to keep touching her, and touching Ray, until this maddening heat in your body goes away. You don’t want to stop, and in that moment, even the thought of escape seems like a distant, feeble dream.

It’s eventually Rika who pulls away first, gasping for breath, and she lets out a breathy laugh as you move to immediately resume the kiss. “Wait, just a moment,” she says, pressing a finger to your lips. Her breaths are shaky, and her face is flushed pink. It’s much harder to get her to blush than it is to get Ray to blush, and the sight of it sends a thrill of satisfaction done your spine. “Did Ray really do all of this to you?” she asks, looking a little dubious.

You blink slowly, struggling to comprehend the question. It takes you another few seconds before you remember why the kiss had started in the first place. “No,” you say, the haze in your mind making you blunt. “I just wanted to kiss you more. I wanted to touch you.”

The color in Rika’s pale cheeks heightens, but she smiles, stroking her thumb along your cheek. “Now when did you learn to speak like this, I wonder?” she murmurs, exhaling softly. “So lovely and honest.” She kisses you one last time, quick and chaste, before pulling away entirely as she steps back. “I…want to continue, but I’d be a hypocrite if I did anything more with you while Ray wasn’t here,” she says, glancing at the door. “He should be back any moment now.”

The second Rika’s skin is no longer in contact with your own, you feel as though you’ve been doused in cold water. The haze in your mind slowly lifts, and you start trembling again. What were you just doing? You wasted all that time, and Seven…

You stifle a groan, thinking about poor Seven. Shame and guilt wash over you. You feel weak and pathetic against the influence of the drug. Like a helpless junkie, forgetting about everything else the moment desire enters the picture.

There’s a knock on the door, and a few moments later Ray enters, bearing an elegant dress that matches Rika’s description. Though it isn’t quite as modest as Rika claimed, with a plunging neckline trimmed in lace.

“I’ve brought the dress, my savior,” Ray says. He looks over to you and smiles. “I hope you like it. I…I think it’ll look beautiful on you. Anything would.” He approaches you slowly, holding the dress out on a hanger. “Once you’ve changed, I can escort you. We’re going to take you out to the gardens tonight. We have something to show you.”

You nod, mentally struggling to think of ways to get them to leave for at least a moment. You need to check on Seven. “Do…do you mind leaving the room while I change?” you venture, taking the dress from Ray’s arms.

Rika smiles, looking at you inquisitively. “You’re embarrassed? But you’re only going to get more covered up from here.”

Ray clears his throat, and you remember that you’re standing around in just your bra and underwear. Glancing down at the dress, your mind races for an idea. “The neckline is fairly low. It…it won’t look right if I wear a bra.” You pause, letting your meaning sink in. “…I have to take it off.”

Both of your captors stare at you for a long moment, seemingly digesting your words.

“…I suppose we ought to leave you to it, then,” Rika says, though her gaze continues to linger on you. “We’ll be waiting outside.”

“Take…take your time,” Ray says, his voice low as he stares at you. His eyes are dark with a longing you recognize, and you can’t help but shiver as he reluctantly turns away from you. The two leave, and the moment the doors swing shut, you run back to the closet.

Opening the doors, you find Seven huddled in the corner, face buried in his arms. Worry seizing you, you lean forward, whispering urgently. “Seven! Seven, are you all right?”

“707 is not responding,” Seven croaks, without looking up. The tips of his ears are the same color as his hair. “Please restart the unit.”

“Seven,” you say, relieved and embarrassed all at once. You glance back at the door, checking that it’s still closed, before leaning in closer to him. “They’re right outside, and they’re going to take me to the garden. What are you going to do?”

Seven finally looks up, and you’re struck again by how similar he looks to Ray. “I…I’ll follow you from distance, just to make sure they’re not planning on doing anything to you. I’ll meet you back here tonight. It’ll be much easier to sneak out then.” He hesitates, still flushed. “That was Rika, wasn’t it? Who was…with you.” Coughing, he scratches the back of his head. “I didn’t know she liked—I didn’t know _you_ liked—never mind. That’s not important. I’ll follow you, okay? Don’t worry. I’ll still get us both out of here.”

You can’t help but cringe guiltily. You know how confused he must be. He doesn’t know how much you’ve been drugged, and he heard you kissing two members of the cult, one of whom is the hacker responsible for dragging you into this whole mess, and the other of whom is both the leader of the cult and the ex-fiancée of the man who you seemed to care for.

“I’ll explain everything later, Seven. Stay safe, okay?” you say.

Seven responds with a somewhat shaky version of his usual grin. “That’s my line. God Seven will keep you safe. Don’t worry.”

You close the closet door, and quickly strip off your brassiere before picking up the evening gown. It takes you a few minutes to put it on, and once you do, you realize the neckline really does plunge down very low. You stare into the mirror, cheeks burning as you look at how much of yourself you’re revealing. One slip of the dress strap, and you can end up entirely exposed in front of both Ray and Rika. The thought sends a shiver down your spine, and you don’t want to think about whether this reaction is one of fear or anticipation.

Rika and Ray are waiting for you right outside your door, and you feel their stares acutely as they roam up and down your figure.

“You look beautiful,” Ray says, his voice hoarse and his gaze boring into you. “We’re…we’re going to take you to the gardens. We haven’t been there in a while, right?”

You nod, falling in step with them as they begin walking down the hallway. The last time you were in the gardens was with Rika, when V had come to try and rescue you.

“…are you doing all right?” To your surprise, Rika seems concerned like Ray was earlier, her gaze intent as she studies you. “The elixir…I know it can be…” She trails off, eyes darkening, and then sighs. “You know I didn’t want you to take it at first. But it was the only way I could cleanse you of V’s poison. I…I would never want to hurt you. Neither of us would.”

You stare at her, wondering how both she and Ray can say such things so genuinely after everything they’ve done. You feel a swell of pity; you can't imagine how much abuse it must have taken before their minds become this twisted.

“…please believe me,” Rika says, stopping to clasp your hand between hers. “I want you here. I..want _you_. But I didn’t want to take away your freedom. I…wanted you to choose us. I still do.”

You nod slowly. “I believe you,” you say, and feel another pulse of guilt at the smile of relief on Rika’s face. You don’t want to imagine what the looks on their faces will be like tonight, once you escape with Seven.

“Thank you,” she says softly. “I’ve told you this before, haven’t I? How warm you are…and how I’ve been waiting for someone like you for so long.” She squeezes your hands, and despite everything, you find yourself squeezing very gently back. 

From your other side, Ray watches you, a small smile on his face. “My savior…can I tell her about what’s waiting for her in the gardens?” he says, once Rika has let go of your hand. You turn slightly as all of you resume walking down the hall.

“Yes, but don’t reveal too much, Ray. Or you’ll spoil the surprise,” she says.

You feel a sudden unease as you glance back and forth between the two of them. They’re both smiling again, but there’s something about those smiles this time that unnerves you.

“At first, our plans for the evening were to give you back your phone, and ask you to respond to the RFA. They’ve been texting and calling you nonstop through the messenger,” Ray says, annoyance crossing his features. A believer opens the doors for you, and the three of you step out into the moonlit gardens. They’re just as beautiful as you remember, the flowers in full bloom around you. “We’re still going to have you do that. But we have an extra surprise. An extra choice. Because just a little while ago, we found someone sneaking around the compound. Someone who wasn’t supposed to be here.”

The blood in your veins turns to ice. It can’t be Seven. He was with you in your room this whole time. Seven had mentioned that man Vanderwood, but Rika and Ray don’t know him. They wouldn’t be reacting in this way to him.

As you continue walking, approaching the corner of the cobblestone pathway, Seven’s words echo faintly in your mind. “ _He really wanted to come…in his state, he’d be captured in no time.”_

“He’s an impossibly stubborn fool, isn’t he? You’d think he’d have learned by now that he isn’t welcome here,” Rika says, and the sudden coldness of her voice is sharply familiar. She only talks this way about one person.

“We’ll teach him properly this time,” Ray says, his countenance dark with anger. “I’ll make sure of it myself.”

You turn the corner, heart pounding, and then freeze when you see him. There, sitting bound and bruised in the center of the gardens, is V.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to cut it off there, but I again wanted to check in with you guys about two things before continuing the next chapter: the rating of the story, and the pairings. If you guys don't care about these things, feel free to ignore the rest of this note. If you do, however, please read on!
> 
> 1\. So the rating of this story started off at T lolol, and I feel like it's slowly becoming more and more risque. And I'm wondering how comfortable with this shift you guys are. Given the nature of the story, the sexual themes will likely continue, but I'm going to leave how explicitly they're described up to you guys. If you care at all about this, please vote here: http://www.strawpoll.me/14149868 (edit: sorry, I changed it to get rid of the third option, since I realized if that wins I still won't know what to do lolol). It's anonymous, so please be honest. If the M vote wins, I'll keep it PG-13 like it is now. If the E vote wins, it'll become more explicit.
> 
> 2\. The primary relationship of this story is Ray x MC x Rika. Some people have requested that Seven also be added to this relationship, and some people have requested V. I don't want to add too many characters to this dynamic since that'll dilute the focus, so I'm only going to add a max of one more character to this mix. If you care about this, please vote here: http://www.strawpoll.me/14144145. The options are to either keep the relationship as just Ray x MC x Rika, to add Seven, to add V, or to add someone else (if you want to add someone else, please specify in the comments).  
> That's all for now, folks. Thanks as always for reading/leaving kudos/commenting! You guys are great <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature sexual content ahead. Please don't read if you haven't been exposed to this kind of content before. I do not want to be responsible for sullying some innocent reader's mind.

He’s bleeding. You can blood welling from a cut on his forehead, as well as from his nose. His eye is swelling with the beginnings of a bruise, and he’s also nursing a split lip. Yet when V, as bloody and beaten as he is, sees you, his eyes are the ones that immediately widen with concern.

“You’re here,” he gasps, his body surging forward. He strains against his bindings, his gaze fixed on your face as he whispers your name. “You’re really here. Thank goodness you’re safe.”

Your mind is swamped with a dozen different emotions that war for your attention, and for a moment all you can do is stare mutely back at the man you’d grown so close to over the past several days. V is here. He’s been captured. He’s in danger—far more danger than you’ve ever been in. And it’s all because he came here to rescue you again.

“V,” you start, taking a step forward. But a hand catches your elbow, and you turn to see Ray holding your arm, his expression hard with anger as he glares at the other man.

On your other side, Rika places a hand on your bare shoulder, and the contact only serves to disorient you further. This situation with the three of you together in the gardens is all too familiar; only back then you hadn’t been under the influence of the elixir. “Of course she’s safe,” she says, her voice like ice. “She’s with us.”

V’s eyes are pained as he turns to look at his ex-lover. “Rika,” he says pleadingly. “Let her go. Please. She has nothing to do with—”

“You’re like a broken record, aren’t you?” The voice that comes from your left is low and dangerous, and for a moment you don’t recognize it. It’s only when Ray steps forward and speaks again that you realize he’d been the one talking. “Acting like you’re the hero here—when all you want to do is steal her away again.” His eyes are dark with rage, and his gloved hands clench into trembling fists. “You’ve really got some nerve, coming back here when you’ve almost ruined our paradise twice already.”

The enmity in Ray’s glower is almost palpable, and you can’t help but shrink back at the sight of it. This isn’t the Ray that you’re used to, and it frightens you. In this moment, he reminds you of the man that had visited you in your bed the other night, menacing and cruel.  

V’s eyes are sad as he stares at Ray, and you remember how the two had seemed to know each other. “Don’t do this,” V says to him, his voice soft. “Please, Saeran.”

At the sound of that unfamiliar name, Ray goes rigid beside you. Eyes narrowing to green slits, he hisses suddenly, as if in pain. “Shut up,” he snarls, and his voice is so warped and rasping that he doesn’t sound like Ray at all. “Are you an idiot? How many times do I have to tell you _not to say that name_?”

Rika steps forward as well, worry flashing in her eyes. “Ray,” she says warningly, and places a steadying hand on his arm. “Calm down. You want to stay a good boy, don’t you? Especially in front of her.” She glances back you with a reassuring smile, and Ray turns to follow her gaze.

The moment he looks at you, the tension in his body seems to drain away, and his eyes soften. “…yes,” Ray whispers, slowly straightening back up again. “Yes. I want to be good. I…don’t want to scare her.”

“That’s right,” Rika says, smiling. “Not when we’re all getting along so well. After all…” Taking you by the hand, Rika pulls you towards them. “…we should show V how happy she is here with us. Without him.”

Warning bells go off in your head at the tone in Rika’s voice, and you cast a frantic look back at V, whose eyes are wide with confusion and concern as he watches you. But your gaze is quickly cut off when Ray grasps your chin, gently pushing so that you’re forced to look back at him again.

“There’s no need to look at him anymore,” Ray says quietly. His breathing is still irregular, and his body still seems stiff, but his gaze is soft as he stares at you. “He doesn’t matter. All that matters is us. Is _you_.”

You hear Rika laugh from behind you, and you suddenly feel her pressed flush against your back as she whispers into your ear. “Ray is right. We have you. You’re _ours._ And we should let V see that.”

Rika tilts your head back, and in the next breath her lips meet yours. There’s a short, choked noise from somewhere to your right, and you know it must be V, but it’s quickly muted by the roar in your ears and the familiar mist of desire that descends over you as her tongue brushes against the seal of your lips. In front of you, Ray drops gentle kisses down your neck, seemingly having learned from Rika’s actions just earlier in the day. You distantly hear V saying something, his voice high and desperate, but the sound is drowned out by the low growl of displeasure that escapes Ray’s throat in response to whatever V said. You feel a sudden, stinging pain, and watch as Ray nips possessively at the sensitive skin of your neck, gaze murky with anger as he sucks hard at your throat.   

When Rika finally breaks the kiss, Ray pulls back as well, and you’re left flushed and gasping for breath between them. Humiliation burns inside you, and you can’t bring yourself to meet V’s eyes. You think of Seven, who must also be watching from somewhere nearby, and you wonder if he can possibly come and save the two of you now.

But no—that’s impossible. You notice the guards stationed around the garden, and you remember the sprawling size of the compound. The safest and smartest thing for him to do would be to wait until nighttime, and then break you both out when you’re alone. But until then, you have to endure.

“Rika, what…” V’s voice is unsteady, and when you finally chance a glance up you see his expression stricken with confusion and disbelief. “You gave her the drug, didn’t you? The same drug you gave to Saeran.”

Ray stiffens again at that name, and Rika’s countenance darkens as she stares back at V. “I had no choice. Because of what you did to her—your poison—we had to purify her.”

Pain crosses over V’s features as he looks at you. “I’m sorry,” he says to you. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to save you before this happened. I failed you. This is all—”

“The Savior already saved her. She doesn’t need you,” Ray says harshly. The effects of Rika’s calming words seem to have worn off, and he’s shaking with rage again. There’s tension in every movement of his body, and yet he smiles strangely as he takes another step towards V. “In fact, no one here needs you. You’re unnecessary, you know? That’s what the other me is saying right now. You’re not needed. You should be disposed of.”

Ray tugs agitatedly at his collar as he continues his advance towards V, his clothing becoming increasingly rumpled and messy as he stalks forward. The smile on his face is familiar, and you remember those mocking green eyes from the way they had leered down at you last night. This isn’t Ray anymore. Not entirely. He hasn’t changed completely, but you know Ray wouldn’t talk this way. You know Ray wouldn’t look so frightening.

V looks beseechingly up at Ray. “Don’t do this. I want to help you. Can’t you see what’s happening? You’re being manipulated, Saeran—”

V’s next words end in a strangled choke as Ray wraps his gloved fingers around V’s throat.

“Don’t call me that. _Don’t_ call me that!” Ray cries out, his other hand rubbing furiously at his temples as he bends over in apparent pain. “I don’t want to be bad. I don’t want him to come out. I don’t want to scare her. So just shut up. Shut up now, or—or else…”

Just as suddenly as Ray’s abrupt rage came over him, it ends, and he slowly straightens up again. Only now, when he glances back to face you, it’s not Ray you’re looking at anymore.

The smirk on his face is something you’d never see on Ray’s, and the manic light in his eyes sends a jolt of fear through you. “What a good time to have control of my body again,” he says, and even his voice is different from Ray’s. “I get to see you like this…” His eyes roam brazenly down your figure, lingering on the valley between your breasts, and the heat you feel burning at your core is both sudden and unwelcome.

He turns back to V. “And I get to see _you_ like this. The traitor himself, come to answer for his sins.”

Beside you, Rika sighs softly in evident displeasure, but she doesn’t make any move to stop Ray’s strange alter persona as he closes in on V.

“Saeran…” V stares up at him, tugging fruitlessly at his bindings. “Please, you have to snap out of it. I know Rika hurt you, but—”

“Hurt me?” Saeran laughs. “The Savior is the only one who didn’t hurt me. She saved me from people who _did_ hurt me. People like that redhead…and people like _you._ ” He shoves the chair V is bound to, sending it toppling over, and you can’t help but cry out in concern as V crashes to the ground.

“V!” Before you can think to stop yourself, you run forward, only to be stopped again. Only this time, Saeran is much rougher than Ray was, his hand jerking you back until you stumble into his chest.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” Saeran grins down at you, but his grip on your wrist is tight to the point of edging on pain. “Didn’t Ray tell you not to worry about the traitor anymore?”

“But…” You struggle in his grip, turning to look at V. He was already so hurt from the effects of the elixir, and whatever else they did to him while you were trapped here the first time. If they hurt him more, you’re terrified of what might happen to him.

“I _said_ not to look at him anymore.” Saeran forces you to turn away, his grip tight on your chin as he makes you look up at him instead. Up close like this, bathed in the light of the moon, he looks strangely beautiful, and yet all you feel in your gut is a roiling sense of dread. “What do I have to do to make you forget him? Tell me.”

Before you can respond, you hear a gasping sound of pain from the ground behind you. “Please, Saeran. Don’t hurt her. You can do whatever you want to me. But don’t touch her.”

Saeran’s expression momentarily clouds with hatred at the sound of V’s voice, before abruptly clearing as he smiles down at you. “Don’t touch her?” he repeats, his smile widening. “But…she likes to be touched.”

You gasp with surprise when you feel his hand sliding slowly down your back, and squirm when you feel his fingers toying with one of the straps of your dress. You’re suddenly acutely aware of the fact that you’re not wearing a bra under the dress, and you shiver with fear as you feel your body immediately reacting to the stimulation, just as quickly as it has been ever since you were forced to take the drug.

“She even wore this dress just for us,” Saeran continues, his voice lowering until it becomes evident he’s speaking more to you than to V. His finger traces the neckline of your gown, the smooth leather gliding over your bare skin as he follows the plunging pattern. You struggle not to react, but you’re sure he can notice the sudden trembling of your body. “And for a special treat…she made sure to take off any…unnecessary clothing underneath it.”

You jolt in shock as Saeran’s hand lowers onto your breast, and another gasp escapes you as his thumb brushes over the velvet of your dress. Saeran’s eyes are dark as they focus on you, but with an instantly recognizable desire rather than any anger this time. His finger brushes again over the peak of your breast, harder this time, and you can’t stop the whimper that escapes your throat. Even with both his glove and the fabric of your dress acting as barriers, the contact sends little jolts of pleasure shooting straight down to the heat pooling in your lower body.

“Saeran, stop it, please!” V is begging from behind you, and you heat with shame as you think about how he’s watching everything that’s happening. The distress in his voice pains you, and you can’t help but turn towards him again.

More than anything else, you’re worried about him. You don’t think either Ray or Rika would physically hurt you beyond the drugging, but you remember how V had cried out in pain during your phone call to him in the dungeons only a few days ago. Ray had hurt him then, and Saeran seems close to snapping every time V opens his mouth now. You have to reassure V, so that he’ll stop trying to talk to him.

“V, please. I’ll be all right. I’ll be all right, so don’t worry, okay?” you say, as soothingly as you can. “Just please stay quiet and wait.”

V opens his mouth to respond, his blue eyes tormented, but an arm suddenly hooks around your waist from behind you.

“You don’t listen very well, do you?” Yanking you back against him, Saeran twists your wrist so that it’s trapped between your back and his chest. His voice is by your ear; there’s amusement in it, but also impatience and a hint of anger. “But fine. If you want to look at him so much, then look at him. And I’ll let him look at you, too.”

Panic wells up inside you as Saeran’s other hand roves over your body. His hand clamps over your breast, squeezing roughly, and you have to bite back a cry as a mix of pleasure and pain shoot through you. Trapped as you are like this, V has a full view of you, and you know he won’t sit still if Saeran does anything more to you. In desperation, you turn to Rika, who still hasn’t moved from her original place at the beginning of the conversation. Her expression is oddly blank save for a faint frown, as though she’s uncertain of how she feels about the situation. But the frown clears when you meet her eyes, and she smiles slightly as she moves closer towards you.

“Saeran,” she says, and her tone is the commanding one you’ve heard when she addresses the other members of Mint Eye. “Calm down. You’re frightening her.”

Immediately, Saeran’s grip on you loosens, though he doesn’t let you go entirely. “My savior,” he says, his voice lowering in deference. “I only want to show the traitor that she belongs to us now. That she wants us. And that’s he’s unneeded here.”

Rika nods, stopping once she’s in front of you. “I know. But remember, she’s always shown a preference for Ray. She wants you to be gentler with her, Saeran. If you want to remind her that she wants us…” She reaches out to touch you, fingers brushing against your cheek. Her touch on your skin is feather-light, but it makes you shiver all the same. “…you first have to remind her that she’s wanted. And you won’t do that if you’re scaring her.” She smiles at you, and presses a gentle kiss to your lips. “Isn’t that right?” she whispers, and you hesitate, uncertain.  

No matter what they do, you just have to get through it. Once it’s over, you’ll be free to escape with Seven, and V will be safe. You can’t agitate them, or you’ll be putting V in danger. You just have to go along with it, and it’ll be easier to endure if they’re as gentle as they were earlier that day.

A small, nagging part of your brain interjects, reminding you of the overwhelming pleasure you feel every time they touch you, and for a moment you feel a wave of guilt, wondering if your agreement to go along with Rika’s suggestion really is as altruistic as you’re making it out to be. _After all, it feels good, doesn’t it?_ Biting your lip, you force those thoughts away. You don’t have time to think about all of that now. So, trying to fight the flush that you feel rising in your cheeks, you swallow and nod.

Rika smiles at you, her fingers moving idly against the straps of your dress. “You see, Saeran? She’s a good girl, so you should be a good boy. Because people who are good…” Her hand slips underneath the cloth of your dress, and you gasp as you feel her fingers brushing against your breast. “…get rewarded.” You hear Saeran’s breathing stutter behind you, and you feel your own breath catch as she lowers one of your dress straps, slipping it off your shoulder until it falls, exposing one of your breasts entirely.

You bite back another whimper, mortification surging through you as you stand trembling between them. You can feel all their gazes on you. Rika’s and Saeran’s are intent, almost hungry, and V’s…

He looks at you for perhaps a second before quickly averting his gaze, a red flush staining his cheeks. “Rika, don’t,” he chokes out, but she doesn’t so much as spare him a glance.

You look away from him, unable to bear the embarrassment. Your nipple hardens in the cold night air, and somehow, even before anyone has even touched you, you feel as though the sensitivity has exponentially increased. It must be the drug, but you’re too mortified to think on it further.

“…you really are lovely everywhere, aren’t you?” Rika says. Her gaze trails over your body, and you feel warmth bloom inside you as those clear green eyes linger on your chest. “Saeran…don’t you think so too?”

Saeran’s breathing is heavy, and his voice is husky with raw desire when he speaks again. “Yes. I think so.”

Rika smiles, and you nearly jump when she touches you, her thumb lightly grazing the peak of your exposed breast. Even that light contact alone is enough to send shockwaves of pleasure and anticipation rolling through you, and you fight the urge to lean into her hand. “Do you…want to touch her?” She rolls your nipple gently between her thumb and forefinger, teasing it to greater stiffness, and you choke back a gasp of pleasure.

Saeran’s grip on you tightens, and you hear him swallow. “Yes. Please, my savior. I…I want to touch her. I…” His next words fade away into a low groan as Rika tugs lightly at your nipple, eliciting another whimper from you as you involuntarily press back against Saeran in response.

Rika laughs softly. “Then be a good boy, Saeran. If you do that…I’m sure she’ll be happy to let you touch her as much you want.”

Saeran goes silent, and for a moment his head comes to rest on your shoulder, his breaths hot against your neck. You chance a glance back, and when he raises his head again, you see Ray staring wide-eyed back at you.

“I…I’m sorry,” he says immediately. “I scared you again, didn’t I? I didn’t want to—” His words die in a strangled groan once he glances down, and you feel another hot wave of embarrassment, as though you’d been exposed all over again.

“Good boy,” Rika praises, looking pleased. She takes his hand, and you watch as she peels the black glove off of his fingers. Then, dropping the glove to the ground, she brings his hand to your hip. “Now,” she murmurs, “ask for her permission to touch her more, Ray.”

Ray’s fingers tremble against your skin, and you feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest against your back as he holds you close. And you shiver as you suddenly become aware of something hot and hard pressed up against your lower back, shifting as Ray gasps behind you.

“Can…can I touch you?” He lets go of your wrist, his fingers intertwining with yours instead. “Please, can I touch you? I want to make you feel good. I…” He breaks off, swallowing hard, and presses a kiss to your neck. “Please.”

You’re shaking, your legs already feeling like jelly underneath you. You don’t know how exactly the drug works, and yet the pleasure you feel seems to magnify with each new encounter. They’ve hardly even started touching you and yet you already feel your mind being overwhelmed with a dense fog of desire.

You try to remind yourself that you’re only going along with this to distract him from V, but the heat swirling inside you bring another wave of confused guilt and shame. “Yes,” you finally manage to say, and you feel Ray’s shaky exhalation against your skin.

His hand shakes as he gently cups your exposed breast, and he breathes your name as his thumb brushes against its peak. “You’re so amazing. So beautiful,” he whispers, his fingers tweaking at the sensitive nub until your breathing is shaky and ragged. “So perfect. You don’t know how many times I’ve…I’ve dreamt of touching you like this.” His admission comes out in a rush, and his faces flushes guiltily. “I’ve dreamt of this…and more.”

Rika giggles, and you watch as she trails butterfly kisses down your chest. “I unfortunately don’t have very pleasant dreams, so I can’t say the same.” She speaks between kisses, her breath hot against your skin. “But I’ve certainly _imagined_ touching you like this. I’ve…fantasized a little,” she whispers, and the image that conjures up sends another bolt of warmth shooting straight downward inside you. She presses her next kiss to the swell of your still-covered breast, and the warmth becomes a molten heat between your legs. “You’re so lovely, I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop thinking of you. Even hearing your voice over the app made me miss you all the more.” She pauses, her fingers poised over your second dress strap. “May I?” she says, and you feel a wave of heat and embarrassment when you realize what Rika’s asking for.

You feel Ray kiss your shoulder, his fingers toying with your other breast, and it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the pounding pleasure building inside you. You give a jerky nod in response to Rika’s question. The moment you do, Ray tilts your head back, swallowing up your next words in an open-mouthed kiss.

You feel Rika pull down your second strap, and you shiver helplessly as the cool air of the gardens blows against your entirely naked upper half. The dress is form fitting enough that it hangs around your waist even without the support of the straps, but you still feel incredibly exposed.

Rika’s fingers toy with one breast as Ray continues his ministrations to the other, and you moan into Ray’s mouth as he deepens the kiss. When he finally breaks it, you look down just in time to see Rika capture the peak of your breast between her lips, and the sudden wet heat swirling around your nipple draws a high whine from your throat. It feels good. Better than good. It feels amazing, and you want more. She sucks hard, teasing the already hard nub with her tongue, and you cry out with pleasure before the noise lowers into a moan. The inside of her mouth is hot, and the velvety feel of her tongue coupled with the insistent suction makes your knees give out from under you. You’re mortified by the pure, desperate _need_ in your voice as you moan, but any attempts to stifle the noises that come from your mouth only lead to choked gasps and helpless panting.

You want more. You need more. They’ve been touching and teasing you since you first arrived here, and the aching unfulfillment has only increased with each passing hour. For all their touches, neither Rika nor Ray have ever _finished_ you. They’ve brought you close, and you know you’re swelling up to the peak right now, as they caress and kiss you. You can feel your climax building, stronger than it’s ever been before, and the realization brings a wave of anticipation and fear in equal measure.

“I…my savior, can we…do you think we could…” Ray gropes for words, his face flushed as he stares down at you. You follow his gaze, and realize that he’s staring at the lace of your panties, barely visible under the still clinging fabric of your dress around your waist.

Rika glances down, also following his line of sight. Her lips curve into a smile, and she cants her head slightly to one side as her fingers trace the lacy patterns of your underwear. “I don’t know,” she says softly, gazing up at you to watch your reactions. “Do you think she’s ready?” She pulls at the dress, tugging it even lower so that it’s clinging to your hips instead of your waist. “Why don’t you check?”

It takes both you and Ray a moment to realize what she’s suggesting, and the groan that automatically rises in your throat doesn’t sound like one of protest. Your thoughts are slow and heavy, but the ache inside you is sharper than ever. You want them to touch you there. You know it’s the drug’s effects, but any logic or reason shuts down in the face of the desire swirling inside you.

Ray’s hand dips down slowly, his fingers unsteady as they roam over the surface of your underwear. The light friction is unbearable, and a part of your mind wants nothing more than to rip away the cloth separating his fingers from you. He dips down a little further, and gasps when you involuntarily buck your hips to increase the level of contact.

Ray exhales shakily, his gaze transfixed on you as he moves his fingers down against the cloth of your underwear. You know the fabric must be soaked through, and you shudder as you feel Ray slowly pulling your panties down from your waist. He’s so _close_ to what you need to be touched in order to reach the climax that’s been building for hours, and your clouded mind screams with anticipation even as what’s left of your reason protests in fear. They’re still touching you elsewhere, caresses heated and quick, and you moan again as you press into their hands. _More._ You need more. And they’re going to give you more. You feel Ray’s fingers move downward, and Rika begins pulling down the dress, until—

“Wait. Please, both of you, _stop_.” You distantly recognize V’s voice, and you hear Ray make a short, annoyed noise as he continues to pull at your underwear. But then Rika _does_ stop, and the moment she does, Ray pulls away from you too.

The sudden loss of contact is staggering, and you can’t suppress the choked sob that tears its way past your lips. You stare at Rika in confusion, and notice Ray looking bemusedly at her as well. Her face is thoughtful as she gazes back at you, and the faint smile to her lips is jarringly unexpected.

“I told you before…that I wanted to give you your freedom. That I wanted to give you a choice.” Rika pulls away from you entirely, and your entire body feels as though it’s suddenly frozen over. You need them to touch you, but she’s moving away. Your mind swims with confusion and panic, swamped by the raw need pumping through you. “Last time, you chose V. I…want to give you another chance to decide.”

“…savior?” Ray looks at her inquisitively, brow furrowed in obvious concern.

Rika turns slightly, her arm extending as she gestures towards V. “V came all the way here to take you away again. And he wants us to stop touching you. We should acknowledge his efforts. Or rather…we should give you choice as to whether or not you want to acknowledge his efforts.” Turning back to you, she brushes a lock of hair gently from your face, smiling when you automatically lean into her touch. “Tell us. Do you want to return to V? If you do…we’ll let you. You can go.”

A wave of shock thrums through you even in the midst of your dazed stupor, and you struggle to process Rika’s words.

“Savior! W-what are you saying?” Ray looks panicked, eyes wide, and he casts a frantic glance towards you. “We can’t let her leave. I…I don’t want to lose her again. I _can’t_.”

Rika shakes her head slowly, still strangely serene as she languidly traces her finger along your jawline. “We can’t force her, Ray. We gave her the elixir to purge V’s poison, but now we have to be fair.” Her words don’t make any sense, and the cogs in your drug-addled mind whir desperately as they try to process what she’s saying. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? That she was special because she came here willingly. We have to let her have her choices.” She pulls the straps of your dress back up again, but never stops gazing at you. “So…what are you thinking? Do you want to go back to V? Or do you want to stay with us?”

The heat burning between your legs, the insistent hammering in your chest, the sweat beading on your skin, the wetness sticking to your thighs, and the ever-present cloud of _desire_ swirling through your mind—they all make it impossible for you to think properly right now. Still, the small part of your brain that’s still capable of reason realizes the enormity of the situation at hand. Rika is offering you the chance to leave. To escape, right now, with V. You have to take it. You have to leave. It’s obvious. And it’s the only logical choice.

But your feet don’t move. They _won’t_ move.

You feel Ray’s penetrating gaze, and shiver at the thought of what he was doing to you only minutes ago. You have to leave him for V. You have to. You have to leave both of them. You know the drug is messing with your mind, and you _know_ that the only proper answer to this choice is to go with V. You care for him. You have to leave. Your muscles clench slowly, as if you’re moving through molasses.

“Though, there is one caveat worth mentioning.” Rika is watching you intently, her gaze inscrutable. “If you leave now, I don’t think we’ll be able to see you again for a very long time. Months, at least. Maybe even years.”

You freeze, her words cutting straight through the fog in your head. “…what?”

Rika nods, glancing back at V. “If you leave with him now, the RFA is certain to come rescue you. And they’ll probably try to dismantle Mint Eye. Everyone in the RFA is important to me. But they don’t...understand our purpose yet. And so they’ll mark us as dangerous, and try to break up our paradise. In order to avoid that, we would have to evacuate. Leave the country and operate elsewhere until it’s safe for us to come back.” She sighs, looking back at you. “We’d come back for you eventually, of course. But I don’t know when that would be.”

You stare at her blankly, her words throwing further chaos into the confused cacophony in your mind. If you leave now, they’ll leave.

They’ll leave you. The realization is abrupt, desperate, _terrifying._ Fear cuts straight to your core, and your body is suddenly overcome with violent trembling. They’d leave you. You wouldn’t be able to touch them. They wouldn’t be able to touch you. Not for days. For weeks. For months, for _years._

Another wave of terror grips you, and you shake your head. You’d die. You’d die without their touch. You’re addicted to it. You _need_ it.

Something tells you that you’re not thinking properly. A faint part of your mind, whispering in the distance, reminds you that you’re under the influence of the drug, and that you’d survive without them. This part of your mind pleads with you to look at V.

V, still tied up and bleeding on the ground. A spike of pain and guilt shoots through you, and you turn to look at him. He needs you. He needs you, and you need to go to him.

But just as before, your body won’t move.

Ray suddenly extends his hand towards you. His fingers are still bare, and they look so pale and fragile as they flutter between the two of you. “Please. Stay with us. Choose us. I…I can’t survive without you. I thought I would die when you left the first time. If you leave again, I—”

“Please. You can’t listen to them.” You hear V’s voice again, and you turn to look at him. He’s still on the ground, and you can tell it’s hard for him to even speak. He’s been beaten, and he’s still suffering from the aftereffects of the elixir overdose. But he struggles on, his gentle face twisted with pain as he pleads with you. “I know the drug is affecting you. But you have to listen to me. It’s dangerous here. You’ll get hurt.”

He’s right. It’s dangerous here. You’ll get hurt. You nod, making your decision. It's impossible to think, but you know what choice you have to make. There's only been one choice from the beginning.

You take a step, legs carrying you forward. You tremble, forcing yourself to move towards him. 

And your hand reaches out to clasp Ray’s.

The look of relief on his face clashes with the surge of disbelief and confusion inside you. You were supposed to go to V. You made up your mind to go to V. It’s the only thing that makes sense. You have to help him. It’s dangerous here, and—

“Are you…choosing us?” Rika’s fingers wrap around your other hand, and you find yourself linked with both Rika and Ray now. Contact renewed, you feel that familiar rush of warmth, and the steady haze washing up in your mind once again.

You don’t want to say yes. You can’t. But your body has stopped listening to you a long time ago, and your traitorous tongue wraps around the word that you desperately try to keep inside.

It breaks free anyway.

“Yes,” you say, and the two brilliant, delighted smiles that you receive in response are almost enough to distract you from the man you abandoned, still crumpled and broken on the floor.

The look of despair on V’s face is only matched by the crushing wave of guilt that rolls inside you.

* * *

Somehow, you end up back in your room. You vaguely remember Rika and Ray telling you to take a hot bath, since you’re cold from the gardens, but you just end up sitting on the edge of your bed, staring blankly into space.

You’ve done something horrible. The weight and enormity of your choice haven’t sunk in yet, but you know you’ve messed up somehow. It's the drug, but it's also you. You were weak, and shame gnaws at you as your struggle to regain your senses. 

Still, something tells you that the situation isn’t _hopeless_. You can’t remember what, but—

The closet door swings open, and you startle at the sight of a mop of red hair.

 _Seven._ Of course. Seven is here. Your brain works slowly, but even now you know that he’s here to rescue you. And he can rescue V. You start to get up, Seven’s name on the tip of your tongue.

But then you stop. Because the look on Seven’s face as he clambers out of the closet isn’t like anything you’ve seen before. There’s anger there, which is disorienting enough. But there’s sadness, too, and a strange fear that sends a jolt of unsettlement through you. Seven isn’t supposed to be afraid.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, before you can say a thing. “I’m so sorry for everything, but…I can’t take you and V out of here. I can’t leave. Not yet. Not..."

He pauses, and amidst the dizzying aftereffects of the elixir, you suddenly feel like you're staring up at Ray instead. He looks so similar to him. More than similar. Identical.

Seven shakes his head, his expression set and solemn. "I won't leave. Not without _him_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Midterms were killing me. Also sorry this chapter didn't get quite as steamy as it could have, lol, but a full-blown sex scene in the middle of the gardens right in front of V kinda seemed just a taaaad ridiculous. Also, poor V was miserable enough already. Rating will probably be bumped up to explicit next chapter, though. 
> 
> Mint Eye might've been looking a bit too seductive in previous chapters, and a reminder that these people are indeed the "bad guys" was needed in this chapter. Cycles of pain and pleasure, and all that... 
> 
> Also sorry that Seven didn't have much of a presence this chapter. He'll be playing a bigger role next time. Along with a guest star appearance from a certain tired™ agent who's just really sick of everyone's shit at this point...
> 
> A big thank you again to everyone for reading/leaving kudos/commenting! And an extra thank-you to all you lovely people leaving comments! Reading your reactions is always a delight, and all of your comments are the best motivators for getting my lazy butt into gear and writing. So thanks again! :D


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